1. What Near is
Near is a companion app for playing a real-world hide-and-seek game with friends who have agreed to play. It shows the live locations of consenting players in a private game room and computes privacy-preserving answers to in-game questions.
Near is an independent, fan-made companion. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Jet Lag: The Game, Wendover Productions, or Nebula. It does not include or replace any commercial rulebook; you are responsible for owning and following whatever rules you play by.
2. Who may use it
You must be 13 or older. If you are under the age of majority where you live, you may use Near only with a parent or guardian’s permission.
You may use Near only with people who knowingly and voluntarily agreed to share their location with you for a game. Every player must affirm consent before creating or joining a room.
3. Only play with people who agreed
You agree not to use Near to:
- track, monitor, or locate anyone who has not knowingly agreed
- stalk, harass, intimidate, or threaten anyone
- identify or reveal someone’s home, workplace, school, or routine
- include a minor without a participating parent or guardian
- post an invite link publicly or share it with anyone outside your game
- continue tracking someone after they ask you to stop
Anyone may withdraw consent at any time by leaving the room, and everyone else must respect that immediately.
4. Safety
Near is not a safety, emergency, supervision, or navigation service, and you must not rely on it as one.
- GPS is approximate. It can be delayed, wrong, or unavailable entirely.
- Do not use Near while driving or operating anything that needs your attention.
- Do not trespass, enter restricted or unsafe areas, or cross private property.
- Obey all laws, transit rules, and posted signage.
- You are responsible for your own physical safety and for the safety of anyone playing with you.
You play at your own risk.
5. Your content
You are responsible for the nicknames, notes, and map annotations you enter. Do not enter other people’s personal information, and do not enter anything unlawful or abusive. Room owners may remove players and may end a room, which deletes its live game data for everyone.
6. Availability
Near is free to play; optional tips and optional rewarded ads are described below. It may be unavailable, change, lose data, or be discontinued at any time without notice. Rooms are deleted automatically after seven days. There is no uptime commitment, no support commitment, and no guarantee that a game in progress will survive a service interruption.
Near depends on third-party services — Cloudflare, Apple Maps, Google Maps Platform for public-transit routes, Wikimedia for optional freely licensed place photos, OpenStreetMap US for rail overlay tiles, Google Firebase, and Google AdMob with the Unity Ads, InMobi, AppLovin, Meta Audience Network and Liftoff networks it may select for optional ads — whose availability is outside its control.
7. Accounts
A verified account is required to create a room or participate as a hider or seeker. A spectator may join through a shared spectator link without an account and cannot share location. You are responsible for keeping access to your account secure. You may delete it at any time from Settings, which erases your account record, your membership in every room, and any room you own. Approved community border presets are public catalog content and may remain available after deletion. Access may be removed for anyone who violates these terms, particularly section 3.
8. Donations
The Near website may offer a voluntary way to support its developer. A donation is not a purchase and does not entitle you to any feature, service level, or support. Donations are not refundable. The phone apps do not offer an external donation link; they may offer optional consumable tips processed by Apple through StoreKit on iPhone or by Google Play Billing on Android, each subject to that store’s refund policy. Tips and optional rewarded ads earn Scout Points, which have no cash value.
9. Disclaimer of warranties
Near is provided “as is” and “as available”, without warranties of any kind, whether express or implied, including any implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, accuracy, or non-infringement. Some jurisdictions do not allow certain disclaimers, so parts of this section may not apply to you.
10. Limitation of liability
To the fullest extent permitted by law, James Tumino is not liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, or for any loss of data, arising out of your use of Near — including anything that happens during a game, any inaccuracy in a location, or any act of another player.
Nothing here limits liability that cannot be limited by law, including liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, or for fraud.
11. Termination
You may stop using Near at any time by leaving your room and deleting the app. Access may be suspended or removed for anyone who violates these terms.
12. Changes
These terms may change. Material changes will be posted here with a new effective date. Continuing to use Near means you accept the updated terms.
13. Contact
James Tumino — jamestumino2@gmail.com